Performance at/after mile 3

You are going out too fast, without enough warmup. You are crashing
right when you should just be getting warmed up. To do consistent times
throughout you need to do a 30 minute (or more) warup, so you are
warmed up and ready to go at the start. It's easier on long races to
just go out slow the first few miles.

"Subba Rao" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello everyone,

I am practicing for a marathon this fall. This will be my first
marathon and I need some advice. Every week I get in 2 or 3 short runs
5 to 10 miles. On the weekend, I run with a training group and we do a
long run. The training group has several groups for different speeds.
When I run, what I noticed is that I get tired around mile 3. After mile
3, my speed rapidly declines. I can endure the distance but the speed
is gone. After mile 3, I take longer walking breaks. Our training
group (Galloway program) uses run/walk technique. I am taking longer
walk breaks. My goal is to finish the marathon in 4 1/2 hours.

How many miles is the long run, and how long does it take you? Which group
do you finish with?

Quoted message said:

What is causing this block (or performance decline) at mile 3 marker?
How do I get to maintain consistent speed all thru the race?
What types of cross training will help me with the speed portion of the
race?

You should probably start out with a slower group until you can keep up with
that group for the entire run. Then, if you still feel good at the end of
the run, next time try the next fastest group. When you're beginning
training, it's important to go slow on long runs. You gain nothing by
running the first 3 miles faster because it's all about endurance not speed
at this point.

-Tony

Quoted message said:

Thank you in advance for any advice or information.

Regards,
--
SR
[email hidden]
Please remove SPAMBUSTER to reply via email.

"Subba Rao" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hello everyone,

What is causing this block (or performance decline) at mile 3 marker?
How do I get to maintain consistent speed all thru the race?
What types of cross training will help me with the speed portion of the
race?

What you train is what you become. I suggest you do one workout a week
at least where you have a controlled increase in pace through the entire
run. In college I did them ranging from 3mi to 8mi, and our mile splits
would start at a jog and finish nearly 3min/mile faster. As well, any
track, interval, or speed work must be done the same way - start with a
controlled intensity, and steadily crank it up. I suggest also doing a
half-marathon or some 10-milers with the exact same strategy - start at a
very easy pace, and steadily increase pace thru the whole race - make it a
'practice' race. I'll bet you surprise yourself with how respectable your
final time is, how much faster your final miles can be even though you give
up several minutes in the first half of the race.
This kind of negative split work is very important, and as you train
further your body will respond to it better. Mentally, you will become
tougher since at no point do you back off, which is the tendency when you
start out too fast.
It's possible your group isn't interested in this, or there is a little
subdued competition getting them to start fast. We all tend to do that,
especially with unfamiliar runners. I would avoid that if at all possible -
when you find a running group that is comfortable starting nice and slow
together, and letting everyone accelerate through the run at their own pace,
you have found a great resource.

Dave

"Subba Rao" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

Quoted message said:

Hello everyone,

I am practicing for a marathon this fall. This will be my first
marathon and I need some advice. Every week I get in 2 or 3 short runs
5 to 10 miles. On the weekend, I run with a training group and we do a
long run. The training group has several groups for different speeds.
When I run, what I noticed is that I get tired around mile 3. After mile
3, my speed rapidly declines. I can endure the distance but the speed
is gone. After mile 3, I take longer walking breaks. Our training
group (Galloway program) uses run/walk technique. I am taking longer
walk breaks. My goal is to finish the marathon in 4 1/2 hours.

What is causing this block (or performance decline) at mile 3 marker?
How do I get to maintain consistent speed all thru the race?
What types of cross training will help me with the speed portion of the
race?

Thank you in advance for any advice or information.

You need to slow down. It's really that simple, and your training
will improve greatly with this switch, as well as the sport becoming
less gruelling and more enjoyable.

Try running a bit on your own as well, and experiment. Find a pace
in which you don't feel that familiar building-up feeling that you will
have to stop soon.

What this means is, when you start the run, as soon as you feel it
getting harder and harder in an obvious, inevitable pattern (you know
what I mean!), slow down. Don't quit and walk just yet.... try to
find that pace that works for you so that when you DO take the
walk breaks, it feels optional, not mandatory.

cheers,
--
David Hirsh, director
www.absolutelyaccurate.com
Southern Ontario's Summer Race Series!